The Politics of Pretending (Episode #570)
Summary
Hosts Camille Foster, Michael Moynihan, and Matt Welch critique the political left’s retreat from "Woke 1.0" policies, analyzing AOC’s vague apologies and the Jason Arday academic scandal. They discuss the hypocrisy of Republicans who only oppose Trump after being personally slighted, mocking Tucker Carlson’s new political maneuvering. The episode also covers the seductive but dangerous appeal of socialism among youth, arguing that such ideologies must fail in practice to be discredited.
Topics discussed
Intro: Tequila, filibustering, and cargo shorts
Senate hypocrisy and Trump's corruption
Pronunciation fails: Gibraltar and Kerfuffle
Race, gender fluidity, and Harper's Atlantic piece
Critique of a poorly edited book on Oasis
Race IQ studies and academic errors
AOC's 'Woke 1.0' and defunding the police
Cancel culture backfires: Kevin Hart and Gore Vidal
AOC's vulnerability and Minneapolis riots
Political opportunism and Trump's enemies
Socialism's popularity and Chicago's grocery stores
Zohran Mamdani and the Amazon Delivery Protection Act
Bike tickets, rent strikes, and Mamdani's rent
Roamer's interview with David Remnick on Putin
Hassan Piker, Mao, and comparisons to Nick Fuentes
Mao's legacy vs. American reform and slavery
Midterm races: Ossoff, Vance, and polling
Ben Sass, Sia Weaver, and DSA politics
Ben Sass's career, illness, and Ross Douthat
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